If you think about the concept of adoption, no one has ever accidentally adopted a child. While many people have been unintentionally conceived, no one has ever been unintentionally adopted. Adoption requires great planning, preparation, finances, and intentionality.
Sometimes there is a stigma attached to adoption and those who are adopted are seen as less valuable than those who are raised by their biological parents, however, the truth is when people adopt a child, they have a great desire for the child. When viewed in the proper light, there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to adoption; instead adoption should be viewed as a great honor. As an adopted friend of mind once said, “My parents chose me because they wanted me; your parents just got stuck with you!”
It’s with that thought in mind, I want to explore one of the most profound and startling aspects of our relationship with God from Ephesians 1:5:
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
We are sons and daughters of God because He intentionally wanted us! He adopted us back into His family. Unfortunately, many people think they were accidents of some happenstance where their parent’s got together in a night of passion and they were the by-product. They think their parents didn’t really want them and certainly didn’t prepare for them so they go through life feeling unloved, unprepared for, and sort of live their life like a leaf blowing in the wind.
If that is what you believe, I have some good news for you. You didn’t come from your parents; you came through your parents. While your parents may not have planned for you, God did. You originally came from God and He has great plans for your life. He intentionally chose to adopt you back into His family through the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take a look at Ephesians 1:4-5 in the Amplified Bible.
4 just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will.
These verses say God selected us for Himself as His own before He founded the world. They go on to say we are set us apart with purpose and that because of His love, He planned to adopt us to Himself as His own children through Jesus. God chose to send Jesus for you and me because He knew Adam would mess up. He wanted us so bad, He was willing to trade the most valuable thing He had, Jesus, to get you and me back. God paid Jesus for us! How much are we worth in His eyes?
Ephesians 1:11 tells about the inheritance that God has laid up for us. This inheritance includes living in righteousness, healing, prosperity, joy, and peace. These are awesome blessings that I explore further in this series.
What I’ve found is that most people don’t have a problem believing the scripture teaches God wants to prosper us, heal us, and give us peace. Anyone who reads the Bible and is honest intellectually, pretty much has to admit that because it’s clear. Many people struggle to receive their inheritance, however, because they don’t believe these promises on a heart level. Faith is of the heart and not of the head so we must learn to make a heart connection with God’s will to bless us in order to receive. The key to receiving all of our inheritance that has been laid up for us is to realize the Bible teaches we are Jesus’s inheritance. Let me explain. Look at Psalms 2:7-8:
“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
These scriptures are prophetic of Jesus and describe His inheritance as the nations. What are nations comprised of? People. Jesus’s inheritance is people; people like you and me. Think about something, do you think God the Father would give junk to Jesus as an inheritance? Absolutely not! He would only give the best gifts to Jesus! And that is you and me. When we realize we are of such high value that God reserved us for Jesus, it causes our faith to go through the roof. Check out this message to learn more.
I want to both encourage and challenge us to explore the scriptures to see our worth in God’s eyes! God loves us, desires us, pursues us, and chases us down with the best gifts! He wants us to have all that He has and our key to receiving it is to embrace our adoption as sons and daughters of the King! We have been chosen by the one who holds the whole universe in His hands!
Walk in the favor and peace of your Father today!
